A court in Birmingham, England, was told a bird lover shot and killed his neighbor in a drunken rage following their long feud over the victim's cats.

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The prosecution in its opening statement claimed Michael Stockton, 44, a fancier of pigeons and a gun enthusiast, had blamed the victim, Susan Rondel, 48, for a fire last year in his bird loft, The Times of London reported. The victim, a mother of two, had suspected the accused of poisoning her cats with anti-freeze. The prosecution said she was shot in the chest at close range after Stockton blasted his way into her home.

Prosecutor Nigel Baker told the court, "Mrs. Rondel was a cat-lover and she had long believed that Mr. Stockton had been poisoning her cats. He was a pigeon-fancier and he believed she was aggravating his pigeons."

The jury was told that Stockton, described as being "partial to a pint of ale," was convinced Rondel had been responsible for burning his pigeon loft.

Baker said the killing occurred shortly after Stockton was heard shouting anti-Welsh abuse at his neighbor.